Hulu not planning to support HTML5 for the iPad

VP Eugene Wei might have overstepped recently when he posted to the Hulu company blog that they are looking at HTML 5, but don’t expect it to meet their needs any time soon. This is disappointing to iPad users since the current Hulu player won’t work for them.

Amusingly, the post was pulled shortly after it went up, but the news had already started circulating. Wei stated that the current Hulu player not only streams video, but also securing content, reports back to advertisers, and renders the video – all things that HTML 5 isn’t quite ready to do yet.

Hulu is expected to come up with an alternative player for the iPad, however that particular service is expected to be part of a pay-only product that would require a monthly subscription.

The company is still expected to bring its service to the iPad eventually, through software in the App Store much like the ABC and Netflix streaming players. It is believed Hulu on the iPad will be a pay-only service that would require a monthly subscription.

It is believed that Hulu will incentivize its subscription plan with Apple’s iPad, and also offer a “window” where content is available to subscribers, both on computers and the iPad, before it can be seen for free by the general public. Rumors have suggested Hulu’s business partners — the site is owned by the parent companies of Fox, NBC and ABC — have pressured the service into subscription plans to “train” viewers that they should pay for online access to content.